Windsor mayor vetoes tunnel bus; councilor believes there's an appetite to override him
Drew Dilkens blames U.S. tariff threat and increased fare for his decision
A Windsor city councillor says he believes there will be an appetite among councillors to pursue an override of a mayoral veto that puts an end to the Windsor-Detroit tunnel bus.
Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante said he had not yet spoken to councillors, and he needed to familiarize himself with the process for reversing a veto because this would be the first time council would attempt it under the province's new strong mayor legislation.
"We're trying to build a plane as we're flying because this is uncharted territory," he said.
"But certainly, I'm going to be consistent and support the tunnel bus. I think it's an operation that's integral, not just to the tunnel system but to our relationship with Detroit and to providing access to a core amenity for many Windsorites.
Mayor Drew Dilkens on Thursday vetoed a Jan. 27 decision of city council that would have continued tunnel bus service and doubled its fare.
He wrote in his mayoral decision, published on the city's website, that the bus serves as an economic development engine for the City of Detroit while providing almost no economic benefit for Windsor.
And he said he was not prepared to continue funding it in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats against Canada.
He also said that the increased fare was likely to drive down ridership, reducing the likelihood that it would bring the service closer to breaking even.
"This fare increase makes the tunnel bus service more expensive than driving a car to Detroit (including the cost of tolls and parking fees)," he wrote.
Councillors have 15 days to override the veto and would need a two-thirds majority vote to do so.
The union representing transit workers, meanwhile, says it's filed a complaint with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board over the decision.
Dilkens has faced criticism elsewhere for his promise to veto the tunnel bus decision, which passed by a 7-4 vote last month.
One rider has launched a petition to save the bus, and riders on both sides of the border have said they rely on the service because they can't afford automobiles.